BIO OF MARY ANN KAWALL
Marengo has been home to my family for the past 43 years. My husband and I are retired with two married daughters. In 1987, I became the first Elder Abuse Investigator in McHenry County while working as a nurse case worker for Senior Services Associates. I was also the first county Nursing Home Ombudsman for residents, working to protect them from abusive, neglectful or exploitive situations. It was during this time that I used my nursing background to evaluate unsafe situations and learned how to connect clients with services needed to resolve problems.
In 2002, I came to M.O.R.E. for the purpose of coordinating the Emergency Financial Assistance Program to try to stop the spiral into homelessness for residents of the greater Marengo area. This program assists clients who are facing an eviction or a utility disconnection. It can also pay the cost of an uncovered prescription or a gas voucher in certain cases. A large part of my job is just listening and referring to other programs, agencies, church groups and townships that can also assist in emergency situations. Since 2003, I have served as the Salvation Army Service Extension case worker for this area, also assisting in emergency situations. Since the inception of the Emergency Financial Assistance Program, the M.O.R.E. Center and Salvation Army have distributed over $270,000. in funds to assist the area's neediest residents.